Types of Donations
Blood transfusions are used to treat accident victims, organ and marrow transplant recipients, cancer and heart surgery patients and those with blood-related diseases like sickle cell anemia. All blood types are needed to support the community blood supply. Often the most common blood types are the most frequently transfused.
Your blood donation and its component parts help to save and enhance the lives of patients in our community and beyond.
Whole Blood
A whole blood donation is the traditional way of donating blood.
About one pint of blood is collected during a whole blood donation into a specialized sealed and sterile bag. Samples from every donation are sent to our laboratory for typing and testing. Using state-of-the-art technology, multiple tests are conducted on the blood including hepatitis, West Nile virus and HIV. When the blood is cleared, it is separated in to three different blood components – red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Within just a few days, the donor’s blood is sent to local hospitals for transfusion.